Since its invention that the sliding doors or windows present the same operating principle, based on a set of small rollers applied on the base of the door and window, which allow sliding along a guiding rail. This principle results in a greater effort to move the window, due to the great friction force produced by this mechanism, to the extent that, by the structural requirements, the diameter of the rollers used is quite reduced, which results in a greater friction force and therefore a higher inertia to the movement of the system, which results in the necessity of the application of a considerable force to proceed to the movement of the door and window. It is to be noted that, therefore, for doors or windows of greater dimensions, the required force for its movement increases considerably.
On the other hand, this method obliges to a permanent mechanical contact between the door and window and the support guiding rail through the rollers, which implies a constant charge over the rollers which enable the sliding. Hence, this constant high charge causes a high wear over the several mechanical components which compose this system, which leads to a constant need of maintenance of the system and to a limited useful life.
Due to the mechanical contact that exists between the several components, it is further generated a noise associated to the movement of the door and window. This noise could be cumbersome, or even unpleasant, mainly when it is registered a high wear of the sliding system.
For improving the performance of the door and window sliding system, several technologies have been developed, which are based on new roller and guiding rails configurations which allow in some way to reduce the friction, as well as the inertia of the system, giving rise, therefore, to systems which take better advantage of the force made by the user.
Currently, there are in other technical fields which allow to considerably reducing the friction associated to the movement, as is the case of the magnetic systems, which are applied on the magnetic levitation trains, or on nanopositioning systems. Despite this, the traditional solution of the sliding systems is based on rollers, which are used in all the doors or windows sliding systems.
The invention presented here solves the problems described above, differently from the prior art (U.S. Pat. No. 7,568,848B2, Ser. No. 03/741,613, U.S. Pat. No. 7,889,037B2, Ser. No. KR100788883, Ser. No. CN1928313) as explained below.
In relation to the U.S. Pat. No. 7,568,848B2, as set forth in its claims, it relates to a sliding structure for a lenses protection door for a digital camera, so it is not enclosed in the scope of the present invention. In addition to the application scope, the system described in this patent is based uniquely in a set of permanent magnets that give rise to the opening of the protection door and its respective closure, but not proceeding to its levitation. In this way, this system presents friction in the guiding system, since in this case they are not magnetic.
In relation to the U.S. patent Ser. No. 03/741,613, and according to its claims, it describes an electromagnetic levitation guiding system for objects. In this case, its field of application scope does not correspond to the scope of the present invention. The object of said patent is uniquely based on electromagnets, both for the structure which is levitated, and for the guiding structure. In this way it implies the need electric power supply for both parts which constitute broadly the levitation system, which corresponds for the door and window sliding systems to a great difficulty of execution.
On the other hand, the methodology described in said patent is not completely operational to application in doors or windows sliding systems, since, in the way that the system is described, there is a set of lateral forces produced by the electromagnets which are not duly compensated, which would cause a lateral displacement of the guide in suspension, placing the magnetic poles in balance and the corresponding non levitation of the body.
The above system is uniquely based on electromagnets; therefore it presents a higher energy cluster, when compared with the system of the present invention.
Referring to U.S. Pat. No. 7,889,037B2, this discloses a sliding magnetic structure applied to a mobile phone. In this case the disclosed levitation system is not enclosed in the same technical field as the present invention.
The operating method disclosed in said patent is uniquely based on a set of permanent magnets, being assumed that the body mass to levitate is always the same, which is not the case in doors or windows sliding systems, since the mass of the doors or windows vary according to its use.
On the other hand, the guiding system configuration disclosed does not allow the separation of the two parts, which for the door and window sliding systems means a great difficulty of implementation or even making it impossible.
The patent KR100788883 discloses a sliding door motorized system, in which the door is fixed by means of a mechanical transmission chain, which chain is moved through an engine. The system is comprised of an L profile which does not support the lateral forces produced by the permanent magnet and electromagnet, which produce a large lateral friction force and requires a set of rollers to help the sliding, which means a great wear of the mechanical parts, and a noise and friction increase.
In CN1928313 is disclosed a system for use in a two-wing revolution door driven by magnetic levitation and arc motor, comprising magnetic bearing and arc motor driving equipment. A permanent-magnet is assembled on outer ring of revolution door and the permanent-magnet and the electromagnet are assembled on inner ring. It is important to emphasize that this system presents a set of ball bearings in the door axle, where the door is supported, which axle is the same axle of the ring.
All the solutions disclosed above, none of them refers to a window/door sliding system by magnetic levitation, based only on magnets and electromagnets.